Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

Cold hydrogen gas—the primary fuel for star formation—is central to understanding how galaxies form and evolve. Galaxies act as star factories, converting cold gas into stars through the gas–star formation cycle. Yet, our knowledge of cold gas (atomic and molecular hydrogen) still lags behind that of stars, motivating efforts to build large, well-characterised samples of galaxies to study this cycle in detail. 

Our group plays a leading role in several cutting-edge, multi-wavelength surveys of the interstellar medium in nearby galaxies. These include MAUVE (Very Large Telescope; Virgo Cluster) and WALLABY (the largest atomic hydrogen survey to date, with ~10,000 galaxies already detected). Together, these surveys provide transformative datasets to understand how galaxies acquire, retain, and lose their gas.

Using these datasets, we are exploring fundamental questions such as: Why haven’t star-forming galaxies like the Milky Way exhausted their gas? What regulates gas inflows and outflows? And how do these processes depend on local conditions and the broader environment?

We invite motivated students to join our dynamic, collaborative research team, co-led by Prof. Barbara Catinella and Prof. Luca Cortese. PhD projects span a wide range of topics related to gas and star formation in nearby galaxies, using data from MAUVE, WALLABY and more. Students will gain hands-on experience in multi-wavelength data processing, large data set analysis, statistical techniques, and comparison with theoretical models—developing valuable skills in observational astrophysics and data science.

The student will also be offered the opportunity to carry out an industry internship during the PhD. 

Image credit: Origins Space Telescope, NASA.

Prof Barbara Catinella - barbara.catinella@uwa.edu.au

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a program of independent, supervised research that is assessed solely on the basis of a thesis, sometimes including a creative work component, that is examined externally. The work presented for a PhD must be a substantial and original contribution to scholarship, demonstrating mastery of the subject of interest as well as an advance in that field of knowledge. 

Visit the course webpage for full details of this course including admission requirements, course rules and the relevant CRICOS code/s.